Roasted Buddha Bowl

It’s now March and after a few months of winter it appears I’m going crazy. Why? Well, you can now add roasted cauliflower to my list of strange-but-true late winter food cravings. Weird, I know. Cauliflower has never been high on my list of comfort food vegetables, but for some reason I just couldn’t get the idea of a creamy roasted cauliflower recipe out of my mind. So I made a creamy cashew-based lemon tahini sauce and mixed it with roasted chickpeas, cauliflower, and broccoli. Doesn’t that just sound dreamy?

I may have just lost half of you, but hear me out; if you’ve never been a fan of cauliflower (or broccoli) this just might be the recipe that changes your mind. It turned my husband into a believer and I hope it does for you too.

To make this simple dish a meal, I roasted some chickpeas to go along with it. The roasted chickpeas add a nice crunch to this mix and of course pair so well with the creamy sauce. Eric has recently discovered that the texture of roasted chickpeas is so much better than unroasted. So guess what we’ve been doing a lot lately? Yup, roasting chickpeas. This dish would also be wonderful served over a bed of grains if you are feeling so inclined. I planned on serving this with millet, proceeded to forget about it on the stove, and scorched the heck out of it. Figures.

The temperature is slowly climbing here in Southern Ontario and like many of you, we’re anxiously awaiting spring’s arrival. In the meantime, I’ll be celebrating “springing forward” on March 10th which will mean daylight until just after 7pm. Major progress!!

1. Soak cashews in a bowl of water overnight or for 8 hours. For a quick-soak method, pour boiling water over cashews and let sit in the bowl for at least 45 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Place chopped broccoli and cauliflower onto one baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tsp oil and mix with hands until coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.

4. Place a couple paper towels on the other baking sheet and spread out the drained and rinsed chickpeas. Place 2 more paper towels on top and roll the chickpeas around until completely dry. Drizzle with 1 tsp oil and roll around the chickpeas with your hands until they are all coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

5. Roast the broccoli, cauliflower and chickpeas for 15 minutes at 400F. After 15 minutes, give the chickpea pan a gentle shake to roll them around in the pan. Roast both pans for another 10-15 minutes or until the broccoli and cauliflower are cooked through and the chickpeas are golden in colour.

6. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing by adding all dressing ingredients into a blender and blending on high speed until smooth.

7. When the vegetables and chickpeas are ready, remove from oven and place into a large mixing bowl. Add your desired amount of dressing on top and toss until coated. Season to taste. Serve over a warm bed of grains with more dressing drizzled on top.

Notes: The leftover dressing should keep for 5 days in the fridge in a sealed container. The dressing will thicken as it stands (especially when chilled) so you can add more water to thin out as necessary. Need a nut-free dressing? Try this Lemon Tahini dressing on for size.

The first time I made this dish I was so hungry (and the dish was so tasty!) I ate almost the entire dish straight from the mixing bowl with a fork. My camera wasn’t quick enough for me this time! That’s when I came up with the name Buddha Bowl because I was rocking a Buhhda-like belly the rest of the day. Note to self: if you eat an entire head of cauliflower in one sitting you will pay the consequences. Carry on.

I have the opposite problem – love cauliflower, but cooked broccoli has never been my thing. however, I can get onboard with anything involving tahini sauce. :) And now I’m really craving roasted chickpeas!

OMG This looks amazing! Buddha bowls are in HEAVY rotation at my house. I get home from yoga pretty late and I’m usually starving, so a quick quinoa + kale + carrots + tahini or cashew dressing always hits the spot. This looks really amazing, and I’m going to have to add it to the rotation. I bet it would be really good with roasted pumpkin seeds!

I have recently discovered that cauliflower is AMAZING and versatile and not the bland veggie only fit for dousing in sauces that I used to think. I LOVE it and my fridge is never without it now. I make cauliflower rice with a pasta sauce and it’s delish :) I am super stoked to try this recipe as I love roasted anything + sauce :)
Thanks for another fabulous recipe!

I’m loving Orange cauliflower lately, it seems to taste a little different but I don’t know if really does or if I just think it does! I could eat broccoli and cauliflower everyday and not get tired of it.

Thanks for the lunch idea! I have a whole head of cauliflower in my fridge just waiting to be used.

FYI, if you are on a cauliflower kick lately, you may want to try out a cream of roasted cauliflower & beet soup— simply roast each, add caramelized onions and some veg broth, season and serve! Easy peasy! Cauliflower pizza crust is quite delish too. :)

Hi Lisa, Some people say taking natural digestive pills help with these kinds of foods I think there is one brand called Bean-zyme that’s vegan – I haven’t tried it but it might be worth checking out. Also, I find that soaking and cooking the beans from scratch helps with digestion (as opposed to using canned beans). Of course, you can also try roasting other veggies for this dish – any you like would work just fine!

I recently tried soaking and then sprouting my chickpeas and it worked perfectly! I just wrap them in a cheesecloth and put in a bowl in a dark cupboard and rinse every 4-6 hours for 2 days or even less. I feel so healthy and virtuous when I eat them then :-) Plus no gas.

This Buddah bowl recipe sounds amazing, and I will surely make it. In reference to the gassy after effects of the cruciferous veggies, I’m wondering if they could be counteracted by adding some sort of seaweed to the dish. like when you add kombu to the pan when cooking beans from scratch?

Sounds delicious, but I feel like I would use a lot more than 1 tbsp of olive oil to roast 2 heads of cruciferous goodness. I recently made an Indian roasted cauliflower that called for 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp coriander, salt, pepper and 1/3 cup of olive oil. It was amazing. Maybe I will find a happy medium with the oil.

As much as I love roasted cauliflower, It always comes out a little soft and soggy.
I pu it on parchment paper, It’s completely dried when I start, I just don’t get it.
I also find this happens when I try roasting chickpeas.(canned)
Nothing ever crisps up, just becomes soggy,soft.
What am I doing wrong, any ideas?

Try these hints: After washing your cauliflower (or other veggie, beans), dry the pieces thoroughly. My rule of thumb is 2 T of oil. The trick is to be sure each piece is covered well with oil, but not soaked in it; a complete, light covering of oil. If you have time, lower the oven temperature, and extend the baking time. The item you’re roasting should look golden, just short of burned. Some burning won’t ruin it.

This comment was left so long ago, but, for anyone doing some digging in the archives. . . :): The parchment is your problem. All the moisture from the veggies, instead of being dispersed and evaporated by the hot pan, resulting in a crispy, golden exterior, is being absorbed and held in by the parchment. You’re essentially steaming your veggies hence the sogginess. Try roasting them sans parchment (with some oil to keep them from burning and drying out) and see how they come out. :)

I’m so excited about this! I’m eating a buddha bowl right now for lunch with broccoli, carrots, brown rice, tofu and a super yummy peanut sauce (a copycat recipe from one of my favorite restaurants). I was just thinking about how I could change it up with sauce variations…so this is so perfect! I love the chickpea addition and the creamy sauce. YUM.

I’ve definitely learned the lesson about eating an entire head of cauliflower in one sitting – but I continue to do it! This bowl look absolutely perfect. There’s literally nothing I would change about it. Thanks for the wonderful recipe – I know what’s going to be for dinner tonight!

I could have sworn you took a pic of my dinner plate because I make this exact dish about once a week and it looks the same… but I always top it with a lemon tahini garlic sauce. One of my fav comfort dishes!

Can’t wait to try this! I love your recipes – and I am totally addicted to the banana bread batter for breakfast! It is unbelievable!!! Unfortunately I can eat the whole thing! Thanks for the super recipes!

I love roasted cauliflower but I have never roasted broccoli for some reason! This Buddha Bowl sounds delicious, I really like the idea of adding roasted chickpeas for texture and protein. I can’t wait to try it.